Agenda Volume 3 - Methodist Conference

57. The Fruitful Field Project
table G, this constitutes a saving
from connexional funds compared to
current contributions of £2,200k, or
30%.
268 The Committee recommends,
as illustrated in table F, that an
additional funding stream is
established using the funds and
assets of the Discipleship and
Ministries Learning Network, providing
an income of £927k per annum.
Based on the recommendations
made by the Committee in section
J, the Committee anticipates that
the Network’s funds and assets will
include Cliff College, the Guy Chester
Centre (the North Bank Estate), the
Methodist Diaconal Order Centre,
Methodist International Centre, the
Southlands Methodist Trust, the
Network’s interest in the Queen’s
Foundation, and, as a permanent
endowment, the Trusts associated
with Wesley House, Cambridge. The
Committee further recommends that
the Fund for Training, renamed the
Discipleship and Ministries Learning
Fund, forms a part of the Network’s
wider funds; this fund, as the Fund for
Training, will receive the proceeds of
the sale of Wesley College, Bristol. 25
In the case of the Guy Chester
Centre, Methodist International
Centre, the Southlands Methodist
Trust, the Discipleship and Ministries
Learning Fund and, potentially,
the Trusts associated with Wesley
House, Cambridge, these funds and
assets will provide an income for
the Network, and the Committee
anticipates that the income generated
will be sufficient to meet the annual
costs attributed to the Network’s
funds and assets of £927k. The
Committee further recommends that
the Network develop a fund and asset
management strategy which, as well
as enabling revenue costs to be
met from the Network’s income, will
enable the costs of moderate capital
expenditure projects at the two
centres to be met from the Network’s
funds (see paragraph 271 below).
269 The Committee is aware that this
use of funds and assets constitutes
a more focused and intentional
approach to a number of the
Conference’s assets than has been
the case for a number of years. Some
may be troubled by such a focus.
However, the Committee is aware of
its duty at this time to exercise wise
stewardship of the investment by
the Methodist people in a number
of centres, institutions and colleges,
as well as to ensure that this
historic investment is configured to
assist the development and growth
of today’s Methodist Church. As
well as this responsibility towards
25 The Fund for Training is currently raised and administered by the Methodist Council under the terms of
Standing Order 362. Its purposes are “(i) the provision of initial and further training for ministers, deacons,
lay employees and other lay persons; (ii) the provision of maintenance grants for persons undergoing such
training and their dependants; (iii) the maintenance, management and staffing of the Methodist theological
colleges, and the Methodist contribution to the cost of joint theological colleges; (iv) the examination of
candidates for the ministry and the diaconate and of ministerial and diaconal probationers.”
756 Conference Agenda 2012